slow-roasted pork & over-easy egg bowl

byheather burschonJune 17, 2015

Last week’s eggs and this week’s shallots have been prepping for this shredded pork bowl. They are the grand finale to this perfect dish of dinner coming your way and soon to be shared with your friends.

But first, this roasted pork shoulder.

You cannot mess this up. I even forgot it in the oven for an extra hour. Hey, I think there is a rule to not using the oven in the summer but I don’t follow those rules most of the time. I get it. I understand. And then I just turn on the fans.

This slow-roasted pork creates it’s own magic, with no questions asked. I’ll take a no-fuss weeknight dinner, winter or summer, any day. High-five.

But that’s not where I’m going with this trail of eggs, shallots, and roasted pork. All these simple things have become the perfect culmination, or combination, for this delicious dinner in a bowl.

For the last year I’ve ordered something similar at Brasa. It’s a little bit of everything I love from their menu in one dish. Most of the pieces I already make here and there, so it was time to combine.

1. Prep your meat the night before, and it’ll be ready to cook itself the next day. This way you also have time to get all house-mad and inspired before your friends walk in the door, like move furniture and paint walls. I never do that, but you might want to.

Mustard has vinegar in it and, along with the salt and spices, tenderizes your meat overnight.

2. Make this rice, with 2 added teaspoons of turmeric for yellow rice, and these black beans. Both of these can be made or prepped ahead.

And you can stop here if you like. Pork, rice, and bean bowls are satisfying for sure. Don’t underestimate these three all on their own. Or rice, beans, and greens. Or pork and rice with egg. Or like I said on Monday, just eat crispy shallots by themselves. Endless combinations.

4. If you want to go crazy, and sometimes I know both you and I do, wilt some greens sautéed in butter or olive oil like above. (Don’t forget your salt and pepper.) Or try these collard greens I made when we had friends over. Yu-um.

Last but not least I like to set out a few splashing options to choose from: homemade spicy bbq sauce (pictured above), vinegar with fresh jalapeños, apple cider vinegar with spices, Cholula hot sauce and Mole sauce from a bottle–pictured in order of heat, hot to mild, according to our taste testers.

You will smile, maybe cry, and for certain you will repeat.

This bowl and these ingredients are going to love you and your friends like only the best of comfort can. And I think you are gonna love it right back.

The pork roast will probably have a thicker cut of fat on one side. I like to trim this down a little, don't remove it all. Leave no more that ¼ inch layer of fat. This is the bottom.

Set your meat fat side down on a large piece of plastic wrap and spread mustard over the top.

Combine your salt, chili powder, cayenne, pepper and garlic in a small dish. Sprinkle mixture on top, rubbing into your mustard with a spoon, spreading the top and sides of your meat.

Wrap up your meat with your plastic wrap and set in a dish to refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

When ready to cook, preheat your oven to 325°.

Line a shallow pan, or cookie sheet with sides, with tinfoil. Lay a metal rack on top of foil. Unwrap your meat from the plastic wrap and set on the rack uncovered, fat side down.

Roast for 3 hours uncovered. At this point, cover your meat with 2 layers of foil and return to roast for at least another hour. At the 1 hour mark, check your meat's temperature with a meat thermometer poked right through the foil. If the meat is not quite at 190° you can return it to the oven for another hour or so. If your thermometer reads at least 190° then remove it from the oven. Keep it covered and let it rest for another 30 minutes to an hour, undisturbed.

When it is time to serve, uncover meat, set on a plate with 2 serving forks, and pull apart into pieces as you like.

*If you opt for a larger cut of meat, say 6 lbs, double your spices and mustard and increase your cooking time to 4 hours uncovered and 2 hours covered.